Greece - Santorini - May 4-9

Our first stop was in Santorini which we figured we couldn't miss due to the famous stunning beauty of the place. It was indeed beautiful though a little too touristy for our taste. Some memories from those five days are Soleil finding doorsteps on which to sit; the well-fed packs of dogs roaming through the cobblestone walking path that Joe calls “a mall” do the proliferation of upscale jewelry shops and the donkey ride from the port back to Oia. Except for the donkey's it's something like the feel of the Big Sur area with a Greek twist. Lots of white buildings with Agean Blue accents.

Also in Santorini we had the odd site of a Chinese tour bus of 10 brides and grooms participating in a collective wedding. Brides in all manner of typical white wedding gown of various lengths with the prerequisite veil and lace; dancing with a band of “traditional Greek dancers” in the courtyard of the town church. Joe joked that they were probably feeling pretty radical about their marriage choice and it occurred to me that the tour might be sold in China as "Eloping to Greece". Such a strange insight into the touristic practices as defined by Asian culture which values community and collective experience over that of the individual or even the couple.